May 23, 2019, iBerkshires.com, North Adams, MA, Pittsfield Budget Review Day 1: Nine of 10 Budgets Approved As Is https://www.iberkshires.com/story/60001/Pittsfield-Budget-Review-Day-1-Nine-of-10-Budgets-Approved-As-Is.html PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The first of four days of budget hearings kicked off Tuesday night with the City Council reviewing the first 10 departmental budgets. The council made zero changes to the $175,485,414 spending plan. Nine of the budgets reviewed were approved as proposed by Mayor Linda Tyer and one was tabled because of an error. The council will review all of the departmental budgets over the course of the next two weeks, which will be detailed as it unfolds. … The budget for schools is proposed to increase by about $2.9 million and the rest of the municipal budget is proposed to increase by about $4 million…. "Our kids and their families from every corner of our city and from every economic class are counting on us, especially if they have special education and special needs issues," Tyer said. "Data indicates that the increase in the number of special education students has put pressure on existing systems that are in place to help our special education students achieve their greatest potential. While student enrollment in 2014 to 2018 has declined by 7 percent, the percentage of special education students climbed by 16 percent." …
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